This invention relates to printed circuit board connectors used to connect daughterboards to backpanels.
Printed circuit board connectors for coupling daughterboards to backpanels are well known in the art. Such connectors exist in various configurations as, for example, a pin header which is coupled to the backpanel or motherboard and a socket connector which is coupled to the daughtercard. The pin header and socket connector may be mated together to connect the daughtercard to the backpanel and may be disconnected in order to replace one daughtercard with another, for example, for repair purposes. Each connector may contain hundreds of contacts which couple with the contacts of the mating connector and with the daughtercard or backpanel.
A complete assembly may comprise a plurality of daughterboards connected to a single backpanel with all of the daughterboards parallel to one another and perpendicular to the backpanel. In order to achieve this assembly, the daughterboard connectors usually comprise right-angle contacts arranged in rows in a housing, which have a pin end for connection to the plated through holes in the daughterboard and a socket end for mating with the backpanel connector. The backpanel connector is a more simple construction and comprises straight pins, arranged in rows in a housing, which mate with the socket ends of the daughterboard connector and are press fit or soldered to the plated through holes of the backpanel. Each contact requires a mechanism to secure the contact in place in its respective connector housing and a mechanism for removing contacts either for selective loading or for inspection or repair.
In connectors which may be used in a variety of printed circuit daughterboards having different thicknesses, the contacts are required to be a different length depending on the thickness of the board. A dedicated die can be used for each contact length, but this approach is costly and it would be preferable to use a single die to stamp contacts in a standard length which could be trimmed in a secondary operation to produce contacts in varied lengths while still end-carrying the contacts.
In the assembly of pin connectors which attach to backpanels, one carry strip on a preselected number of double end-carried contacts is often broken off to create a comb of contacts which can be gang loaded into the connector housing. The break-line at the end of a contact pin is usually perpendicular to the pin length and this creates a blunt end which is a poor lead-in for either mating the contact with a socket or entry into the plated through holes of a printed circuit board. A short break-line leaves a minimal blunt end but creates a weak attachment to the carry strips, making it prone to damage during manufacturing operations. It would thus be desirable to provide a break-line which is not perpendicular to the pin length, thus producing a better lead-in and stronger attachment to the carry strips.